Speaker verification system and process

Abstract: An individual's speech sample, obtained for the purpose of speaker verification, is used to create a "protected" model of the speech. The protected model, which is stored in a database in association with a personal identifier for that individual, is arranged so that the characteristics of the individual's speech cannot be ascertained from the protected model, without access to an encryption key or other secured information stored in the system.

Description: This invention relates to a speaker verification system and process for confirming the claimed identity of an individual using stored speech samples, and, in particular, to a system and process used to generate and store speech samples and to retrieve the speech samples so that they are secured against abuse for later use in the speaker verification process. Speaker verification processes and systems are used to confirm the identity of an individual for such purposes as controlling or limiting access to a resource. In this context, a resource could be the telephone network, a bank account, or a computer. Generally speaking, certain characteristics of an individual's speech sample, also called a speaker utterance, are used to form a template or model, which is stored. When a person claiming to be that individual (hereinafter, the "claimant") seeks access to the resource, the claimant is asked to provide a speech sample. The characteristics of the speech sample offered by the claimant are compared with the stored template or model, and the identify is confirmed only upon a successful match. Users of speaker verification systems have expressed concern that stored speech samples can be misappropriated and/or misused, with dire consequences. This is because a person whose speech sample is compromised cannot "discard" or change their individual speech characteristics and provide a new sample, in the same manner as a personal identification number (PIN). When a PIN is compromised, a new one can be assigned to the person, and the old one canceled or invalidated. However, if thief obtains a speech sample, or a speech template or model for a particular person, the thief in essence can "become" that person, at least for the purpose of identifying himself to a speech verification system. EP-A-0 454 363 and M. Birnbaum et al in AT&T Technical Journal, vol 63 , no. [5], September-October 1986, "A voice password system for access security" disclose methods as set out in the preamble of claim 1. EP-A- 0 121 222 discloses a method for storing a fingerprint on a portable medium and reading the information for the purpose of comparison. Information derived from the fingerprint itself is used to scramble a laser beam used to form a hologram of the fingerprint, which is then stored on the medium. Information derived from a claimant's fingerprint is then used to scramble in the same way a laser beam used to read the hologram. A method and system according to the invention are as set out in the claims. In accordance with the present invention, an individual's speech sample, obtained for the purpose of speaker verification, is used to create a "protected" model of the speech. The protected model, which is stored in a database in association with a personal identifier for that individual, is arranged so that the characteristics of the individual's speech cannot be ascertained from the protected model, without access to a key or other information stored in the system. When a request is received to verify the identity of a claimant, i.e., a person claiming to be a particular individual, a sample of the claimant's speech is obtained, and the protected model associated with the personal identifier provided by the claimant is retrieved. The speech sample is processed using the stored information, so that a comparison can then be performed to determine if the retrieved model corresponds to the claimant's speech sample. In another embodiment of the invention, an individual's speech sample is subjected to a transformation in a transformation processor, the output of which is applied to a model generator in order to create a protected model that is stored in association with that individual's personal identifier. When a claimant seeks identity verification, the claimant's offered speech sample is also transformed using the same transformation, and the result is compared with the stored protected model retrieved using the personal identifier provided by the claimant. Verification is provided only in the event of a successful match. Since the model that is stored has been subjected to a transformation, and the same transformation is used on the claimant's speech sample, misappropriation will again not benefit an unauthorized individual. Furthermore, even if the protected model is stolen, the harm can be remedied. The transformation can be changed, and the individual can provide another speech sample to regenerate another protected model. The stolen model will thereafter become ineffective. Preferably, the transformation is "irreversible", so that an individual's speech sample cannot be recreated from a stolen protected model. The present invention will be more fully appreciated by consideration of the following detailed description, which should be read in light of the accompanying drawing in which: Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a speaker verification system arranged in accordance with the principles of the present invention, to create and store a protected speech model and thereafter use the model to control access to a resource; Figs. 2 and 3 are flow diagrams showing the steps followed in the subscription and access processes, respectively. Referring first to Fig. 1, there is shown a block diagram of a speaker verification system arranged in accordance with the principles of the present invention, to create and store protected speech models for different individuals and thereafter use these models to verify the identify of a person claiming to be a particular one of those individuals. Broadly speaking, the system of Fig. 1 performs two main processes, referred to below as the "subscription" process and the "access" process. The "subscription" process is performed once, for example when a particular individual subscribes or registers in order to thereafter enable speaker verification. Subscription can occur for the purpose of enabling an individual to obtain permission to make credit card purchases, or gain access to a remote computer, or to initiate long distance telephone calls. During the subscription process, the individual provides a speech sample and a personal identifier is assigned to the individual. Later, during the "access" process, the identity of a person (claimant) claiming to be a particular individual is verified. This process can be performed, for example, each time a person seeks access to a resource, e.g., to make a telephone call or a credit card purchase, to use a remote computer, or to simply convince another person of his/her identity. The system of Fig. 1 includes a user interface 200 which is used both during the subscription and access processes. However, it is to be noted here that separate user interfaces can be provided for use during each process. User interface 200 contains an interactive voice response unit (VRU) 201 such as the Conversant (R) Voice Response System available from AT&T, that has the capability of (a) playing announcements, (b) collecting information input by individuals, including both speech samples as well as other information entered, for example, via a touchtone key pad, and (c) performing preprogrammed logical operations depending upon the responses received. During the subscription process, VRU 201 prompts the individual for a speech sample, and a personal identifier used later in the access process can be assigned to that individual at that point. During the access process, VRU 201 prompts the claimant for a personal identifier and for a speech sample. The information collected by the user interface 200 is applied to a speech sample processor 202, which is arranged to process speech samples collected from individuals during the subscription process and generate corresponding protected speech models. The output of speech sample Processor 202 is applied to and stored in a database 207, which may be a conventional database memory arranged to store protected models and the associated personal identifiers. When database 207 is queried during the access process, using a personal identifier as a look-up key, the associated protected speech model is retrieved. Speech sample processor 202 includes a transformation unit 203, which is arranged to generate a transformed version of the speech sample obtained by VRU 201. The transformation may be accomplished using analog or digital techniques, and is arranged so that after a speech sample has been transformed the original speech sample cannot be recreated from the transformed version. Various transformations can be devised by those skilled in the art to accomplish such transformation. A verification unit 206 is arranged to determine if there is a match between a transformed speech sample from a claimant purporting to be a specific individual and the stored transformed speech sample (protected model) for that individual. The steps performed in the subscription and access processes for the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in Fig. 1, are shown in Figs. 2 and 3, respectively. In the access process of Fig. 2, the individual's representative speech sample is obtained in step 501, and a personal identifier is assigned in step 502. Next, the speech sample is applied, in step 503, to an analog or digital transformation unit (203 in Fig. 1) in such a manner as to generate a version of the speech sample which cannot be used by an unauthorized person to recreate the individual's speech sample. For example, a simple time slice of the endpointed acoustic signal can be taken, and the slices rearranged according to a predefined, secure sequence. The transformation is preferably such that it is irreversible: once the speech sample has been processed, the transferred version cannot be again processed to obtain the speech sample. Information associating a particular transformation with a particular individual based upon that individual's personal identifier, is stored in transformation ID database 204. In step 504, the transformed speech sample is applied to model builder 205, to extract important characteristics used to build a model of the individual's speech. be used in the access process. The protected model is stored in database 207 in step 505, together with the personal identifier assigned in step 502, which serves as a look-up key when the database is queried during the access process. Note that an unauthorized person who obtains stored information from database 107 can not use it to imitate the individual who provided the sample, because the speech sample has previously been transformed and does not resemble the individual's actual speech. During the access process of Fig. 3, the person claiming to be an authorized individual provides a speech sample together with a personal identifier in step 601. The speech sample is applied to transformation unit 203 in step 602, and the output is applied to verification unit 206. The personal identifier provided by the claimant is used to extract a protected speech model from database 207 in step 603, and this too is applied to verification unit 206. Then, in step 604, the claimant's transformed speech sample and the retrieved protected model are compared, to determine if there is a match. If the result of the comparison is positive, indicating a close match, the person requesting speaker verification is determined to be the individual that previously performed the subscription process. On the other hand, if the result of the comparison is negative, the claimant's identify has not been confirmed. Various modifications and adaptations can be made to the present invention. For example, separate user interfaces can be provided to the system for use during the access process and the subscription process. Note too that an adaptive learning technique may be devised by persons skilled in the art, wherein speech models constructed and stored during the subscription process are updated during the access process, to accommodate changing voice characteristics. In addition, although the embodiments of the invention described herein include reference to a personal account identifier which serves to distinguish among multiple users of the system and/or method, it should be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the invention can be adapted for use in a single user system such as a system arranged to verify the identity of a person carrying a "smart card" which itself contains a speech sample obtained from that person. In such a system, the smart card itself is the database which stores the protected model, and a separate database (207) is not required.

Claims: A method for confirming the claimed identity of an individual, said individual having a personal identifier, said method comprising the steps of: receiving (501) a sample of the individual's speech; creating (503, 504) a model of said speech using said sample; storing (505) said model in association with said personal identifier; in response to a request for identity confirmation, receiving (601) a sample of a claimant's speech and a personal identifier provided by said claimant; retrieving (603) the model associated with said personal identifier received from said claimant; performing (604) a comparison to determine if said retrieved model corresponds to said claimant's speech sample; and confirming the identity of said claimant only if said comparison indicates a positive match; CHARACTERISED IN THAT: said creating step comprises creating a protected model of said speech by transforming (503) said sample using a transformation method such that characteristics of said individual's speech cannot be ascertained by accessing said protected speech model without the use of additional stored information, wherein the transformation method is based on at least the personal identifier; and prior to said comparison, said claimant's speech sample is transformed (602) with the same transformation method used in said creating step. A system for confirming the claimed identity of an individual using speech verification, said individual having a personal identifier, said system comprising: receiving means (200) for receiving an individual's speech sample of said individual's speech, said individual's personal identifier, a claimant's speech sample of a claimant's speech, and a personal identifier from said claimant; means (205) for creating a model of said individual' s speech; means (207) for storing said model in association with said individual's personal identifier and for retrieving the model associated with said personal identifier received from said claimant in response to a request for identity confirmation; and comparing means (206) for performing a comparison to determine if said retrieved model corresponds to said claimant's speech sample, and confirming the identity of said claimant only if said comparison indicates a positive match; CHARACTERISED IN THAT: said means for creating a model is adapted to create a protected model of said individual' s speech using a transformation method that transforms said individual's speech sample such that the characteristics of said individual's speech cannot be ascertained by accessing said protected model without the use of additional information stored in the system, wherein the transformation method is based on at least the personal identifier; transforming means (203) are provided for transforming said claimant's speech sample with said transformation method; and said comparing means are arranged to perform said comparison using said transformed speech sample.

Inventors: RABIN MICHAEL D, SCHOEFFLER MAX S, RABIN, MICHAEL D., SCHOEFFLER, MAX S.
Applicants: AT & T CORP, AT&T CORP.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: G10L17
IPC codes: G07C9, G10L15, G10L17, G07C11, G06T7, G06F3